Toy Soldiers
by SamanthaWinchester
Summary: Oneshot. Kid AU. Little Steve is caught off guard when James comes over to him and asks to play. Steve normally plays action figures by himself because he is no good at playing ball with the other kids, but James' company is nice and the two strike up a friendship.


**A/N: Gosh I haven't posted since April haha. Well I don't tend to write as much as I read anyway. Here's a quick Captain America oneshot. I hope you like it!**

A cool breeze whipped through the chilly October air as the screams and giggles of schoolchildren rang through the schoolyard. Boys and girls in wool pullovers raced after a red ball, as it weaved its way in through little legs. A few yards away near the brick wall sat a sandy-blond little boy, carefully lining up his toy soldiers in neat little rows.

"Hey Stevie, ya wanna' play with us? C'mon, please?" The boy looked up from his toys to see that one of his schoolmates was standing over him.

"No thanks." The boy returned his gaze to his soldiers.

"C'mon. It'll be fun." The freckled faced kid piped up.

The boy shrugged his shoulders. It wasn't that he didn't like playing with the other kids; Steve didn't mind them. The problem was the game itself. Being the smallest in his grade, it was hard for Steve to run as fast as the other kids, and his endurance wasn't exactly solid either. It was hard for him to find any fun in chasing a ball that was always going to be kicked away before he could reach it, leaving him exhausted and panting. "No thanks. I think I'll just stay over here."

"Suit ya' self." The boy started to turn around, but stopped. "Hey… what a' those?"

Steve followed the boy's gaze to his toy soldiers standing at attention near the boy's feet. "Oh these? Nothin' important." He waited for the boy to leave, but he didn't. He kept his eyes transfixed on the toys. "Can I see 'em?"

Before Steve could reply, the boy had snatched up a few of the soldiers in his hand.

"Please don't touch them. They're very special to me." Steve pleaded. He could hear the panic rising in his voice. Those soldiers had a birthday gift from his dad, who had been killed in combat near the end of the war.

"I'm just lookin'."

Little Steve watched anxiously as his classmate crudely contorted the little plastic men into combat poses.

"Please be careful."

He had barely gotten the words out before the plastic arm of his best soldier snapped off in the boy's hand. The boy looked down at the broken soldier in his palm, then up at Steve, whose face was a mixture of shock and anger.

"Gee, sorry Stevie." The kid apologized sheepishly. He dropped the soldier at Steve's feet before running off to join the other kids.

Hot tears filled Steve's eyes as he looked down at the broken toy in front of him. _That kid will pay for what he did_ Steve decided, clenching his tiny fists as tight as he possibly could. He tried in vain to stick the arm back in place, but soon gave up and threw the soldier at the pavement. The little man skidded across the ground, coming to a stop at the feet of another young boy, James.

James had been in Steve's class since pre-school, but the two had never talked much. James was the kind of boy who got along with everyone and liked to hang out in big groups of kids. Steve was more of the quiet type, so the two never seemed to cross paths. This is why little Steve was so surprised when the boy spoke to him.

"Hey is this yours?" James asked, picking up the soldier and his disembodied arm.

Steve looked up at the dark-haired boy. "Yeah. He's broke. He was my best one too."

"Do you want some help fixing him?"

"I already tried." Steve looked down again and started tracing his finger in the dirt.

"Guess you didn't try hard enough. Here."

Steve watched as James stuck his fingers in his mouth and pulled out a piece of chewing gum. Carefully, he put the gum in the hole where the soldiers arm used to be, then he pressed the tiny arm back into place.

"There, good as new!" James placed the toy in Steve's palm, then sat down in the dirt next to him.

Steve turned the soldier over in his palm, examining it. The little man's arm was now right back where it was supposed to be. "Gee thanks!" Steve looked over at James. "Hey you wanna play with me?"

"Sure! Can I be that one?" James asked, pointing to a soldier in a shiny blue uniform.

"Uh' course!" Steve picked the soldier up and handed it to his new friend. "His name is Captain."

James carefully grabbed the toy and stood it up in front of him. "Captain what? He can't just be called Captain, he needs a proper name."

Steve tinkered with his men. "I dunno. I just always called him Captain."

James' eyes darted around the schoolyard looking for a source of inspiration. His gaze fell upon the flag hanging over the school door. "How 'bout Captain America?"

Steve's blue eyes lit up in delight. "Yeah… I think that's a swell name! Captain America can lead the American army into battle!"

James giggled and grabbed two soldiers. "The red ones can be the bad guys and the blue ones can be the good guys."

"Yeah great idea!"

The two began mimicking gunfire and hitting the little men together.

"Captain America saves the day!" James yelled, knocking down a wave of incoming red soldiers. "Hooray, hooray!"

"Hooray!" Steve joined in, giggling at his new friend's face of joy as he toppled the little red soldiers. Their joy was short-lived though, as the bell to end recess rang through the schoolyard.

James set down the men he was holding. "Hey Stevie, you wanna play soldiers again tomorrow?"

Steve looked over at James, a grin creeping across his rosy little face. "Really?"

"Yeah, as long as I get to be Captain America! You're really fun to play with."

"Okay! I'll bring my soldiers tomorrow!"

 _"Boys! Recess is over!"_

"Whoops! We'd better go." James helped Steve scoop up all the soldiers into his arms and the two raced to the door of the school building, ending what had been the best recess Steve had ever had, and striking a friendship that would last for ages.

 **A/N: Thanks so such for reading! If you wouldn't mind reviewing or maybe even favoriting it would make my day! xx Sam**


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